The European Unions top court has dismissed a case brought by Poland and Hungary, and ruled in favour of making cash handouts conditional on a country’s respect for EU law.
The so-called conditionality mechanism means that money can be withheld if a member state flouts the EU’s core values.
The ruling at the European court of justice could affect the payment of €36 billion in coronavirus recovery funds to Poland, which Brussels currently refuses to release, as well as other money.
Responding to the court’s decision, prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that, „Poland believes that… bureaucratic centralisation [and] federalisation … is a dangerous process.”
Polish deputy justice minister Sebastian Kaleta called the ruling „blackmail aimed to deprive us of our right to self-determination”.
In its ruling the court said that member states cannot disregard EU values which are a condition of membership once they have acceded to the union.
Source: PAP, curia.europa.eu, euronews.com, theguardian.com
Date set for trial over murder of former Gdańsk president
A start date has been set for the trial of the man accused of killing Gdańsk president Paweł Adamowicz. Stefan W. will go before Gdańsk district court on 28 March to face the charge.
The defendant was previously assessed by psychiatrists to have had limited sanity at the time of the murder, meaning he is fit to stand trial. He gave a statement immediately after the attack saying he had wanted to take revenge for a court sentence given to him for robbery, which he considered too high.
Adamowicz was onstage at the final night of the Great Orchestra of Christmas charity event in January 2019 when a man ran forward and stabbed him.
A lawyer for the prosecution said they have about 200 witnesses lined up for direct questioning.
Source: PAP
Man arrested over murder of missing mother and daughter
A man has been arrested in Częstochowa on suspicion of killing a 45-year-old-woman and her 15-year-old daughter, who went missing almost a week ago.
The 52-year-old man, named as Krzysztof R., appeared in court yesterday. Prosecutors said that evidence gathered showed a high probability that he had committed the two murders.
Police are still searching for the two women, who left home with their dog last Thursday evening.
Source: PAP
Maritime museum embarks on unique boat preservation project
The National Maritime Museum has begun the task of preserving two highly unusual 19th-century boats.
The two wooden boats, used to move coal, were found stuck in mud at the end of a mine tunnel by the Coal Mining Museum in Zabrze.
Conservationists are using X-ray instruments to inspect the crafts as they disassemble them ready for preservation work. The wood and metal parts of the boats—including sheet metal, nails and screws—must be treated separately, as preservation methods for one can damage the other.
Dr Irena Jagielska, a specialist in wet wood preservation from the maritime museum, said she travels the world and has never seen a boat from a mine before.
The conservation process is expected to take several years.
Source: radiogdansk.pl
Weather
There’s a weather warning in place for strong winds across Poland today, with gusts of up to 115 kilometres per hour, so do take care when you’re out and about. In Gdańsk it will be a wet day with a high of 9°C, 48°F. Tomorrow will turn cooler and drier, with rain clearing to give some sunny spells.
Andrew Carter/MarWer
